All 7 entries tagged Novel

Books I read this Summer 07

Title:

The Night Watch

Author:

Sergei Lukyanenko

ISBN:

0099489929

Rating:

I was reminded by Lee that I hadn’t reviewed any books lately. This is partly because I haven’t read many but one I can recommend is this book by Sergei Lukyanenko.

Night Watch is the first of 4 books translated from Russian and tells the story of the suppressed conflict between the forces of light and dark from the perspective of the ‘police’ who monitor the vampires and other creatures of the dark who live amongst us. It is a supernatural thriller but doesn’t come across as silly. It may not be art but it is a good read. I’ve never read this type of stuff before but enjoyed it and will read the next ones as they come out in paperback. The next in the series is The Day Watch, then The Twilight Watch, then The Last Patrol.

Night Watch was made into a film in 2004 more… and Day Watch has just finished production, I think.

Neil Davis : 04 Nov 2007 23:19 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer(06)

Title:

Saving Fish From Drowning

Author:

Amy Tan

ISBN:

0007216165

Rating:

I hadn’t read The Joy Luck Club so didn’t really know what to expect when MDW passed me this after I’d finished the books I’d taken on Holiday (see Places I’d Rather Be). Well, I enjoyed it mostly. I thought the main story was a bit predictable but the humour level was kept up throughout; the cave episode was hilarious. Although the end dragged on a little it wasn’t enough to ruin the experience.

Neil Davis : 20 Oct 2006 21:15 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer – Smith

Title:

On Beauty

Author:

Zadie Smith

ISBN:

014101945X

Rating:

I didn’t manage to get past the first 30 pages before I got to the Lifes too Short stage. It just didn’t engage me in the slightest and the story just didn’t move on fast enough for my liking.

Of course, this could’ve been because I was sat on the tarmac at Athens airport with fuel gushing out of the aircraft’s wing, fire trucks zooming up and no air-con because all the engines were shut down as a precaution .. but I do feel that a good book should’ve been able to keep my attention through all of this.

Neil Davis : 20 Oct 2006 08:40 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer(06) – Lewycka

Title:

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

Author:

Marina Lewycka

ISBN:

0141020520

Rating:

Was this the Captain Corelli of 2006? – amongst my fellow engineers I know I wasn’t the only one to read this. Perhaps it had something to do with the title. Sorry, but there really aren’t (m)any tractors in the story but there is a heavily modified Roller – hey! that is the tractor!

Funny, but in a rather disquieting fashion, not quite sure what sense of humour The Times reviewer has.

Neil Davis : 18 Oct 2006 20:33 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer(06) – Perez–Reverte

Title:

Purity of Blood: The Adventures of Captain Alatriste (Adventures of Capt Alatriste 2)

Author:

Arturo Perez-Reverte

ISBN:

0753821192

Rating:

If you want a quick read with plenty of sword-play and clear goodies and baddies this could be for you. Captain Alatriste is still the main player but the narrator is who you are likely to be rooting for.
_“How easily he scales the high wall of stone
spurred on by his youth”_
I’ll read the next one when its translated – hopefully while on a plane somewhere.

Neil Davis : 18 Oct 2006 20:23 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer(06) – Akunin

Title:

The Death of Achilles (Erast Fandorin 4)

Author:

Boris Akunin

ISBN:

0753820978

Rating:

Erast is back in Russia but now in Moscow. Still a good read but I think he’s getting a bit too Bondish for me – he’s just so accomplished it gets a bit wearing. That is one …

Neil Davis : 18 Oct 2006 20:13 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Books I read this Summer(06) – McCarthy

Title:

No Country for Old Men

Author:

Cormac McCarthy

ISBN:

033044011X

Rating:

A welcome return to the Wild West (the first book of the author’s I read was Blood Meridian you see). Had me going from the start, the side commentary is really evocative and sets the mood marvellously. I really wanted him to get away with it.

Neil Davis : 18 Oct 2006 20:08 |  Tags: Book Novel Review |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem